"I'm scared." "I feel alone." "I am struggling with doubt." "I feel separated from God." "People who don't even think about God are getting ahead of me."

These sentences above, or at least the sense thereof, represent feelings that appear in the Psalms, the collection of songs that mark the middle of the Bible. The Psalms represent a great variety of topics, ranging from sorrow to great joy and from lament to praise. They portray the richness of the human heart and the experience of a believer in a dark world. While written more than 2,000 years ago, the thoughts expressed therein are still as poignant today as any song we might hear on the radio.

We begin with songs of a troubled soul. Psalm 6 shows the raw emotion as David wrestles with his enemies: "My soul is in anguish./ How long, O LORD, how long?" He asks for deliverance, remarking that "no one remembers you when he is dead./ Who praises you from the grave?" His anguish brings him fatigue, too: "I am worn out from groaning;/ all night long I flood my bed with weeping/ and drench my couch with tears./ My eyes grow weak with sorrow;/ they fail because of all my foes." David does not portray himself as entirely put-together, but He does show God as merciful and just.

One way that the Enemy attacks us is through isolation: feeling that we alone are to suffer. Certainly, the presence, support, and encouragement of loved ones are key ingredients for overcoming our struggles. Yet, we will fail to have true victory over the Enemy's attacks apart from trusting wholly in God. As Hudson Taylor wrote, "they who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true."

We cannot completely trust in God without sharing our struggles with Him openly. Often, we are in bondage because of our inability to put our fingers on the struggles we are having. We may ask the Lord, "Why do I feel down today? What should I learn from this tough situation?" By defining our struggles, we can lay them before the Lord and, like David, seek restoration. A great myth of the Enemy is trying to convince us that "strong Christians don't have struggles." This is patently false, as Paul explains in 2 Timothy 3:12: "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted... "

When you are scared, share that with the Lord, and ask for His comfort. When you feel alone, ask for His dear presence. Remember that, above all things, God desires our hearts and wants to be close to us. May you find strength in knowing of God's provision:

"Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)

QUESTIONS
1. How do you feel today? How can these feelings draw you closer to the Lord?
2. In what ways are you vulnerable to spiritual attack? What forms might these take?